Blackjack game with side bet wager

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a blackjack wagering game including the steps of: wagering a first amount on an underlying blackjack game involving a player playing against a dealer; wagering a second amount on a side bet bonus game integrated with the underlying blackjack game, wherein the wager includes selecting at least one particular suit; providing one or more cards to the player and the dealer to form a player&#39;s initial hand and a dealer&#39;s initial hand; determining the outcome of the side bet bonus game wager, wherein the outcome depends on at least one of card of one of the initial hands including one or more cards of the at least one selected suit; and playing the underlying blackjack card game to determine a final outcome for the blackjack wager.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/300088, filed Dec. 14, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to games of chance, such as card games,and more particularly to a card game, such as blackjack or variantsthereof, that facilitates multiple wagering opportunities.

2. Background of the Art

Card games have always been popular as wagering games. The history ofcard games reaches back into biblical times. One of the most popularcard games, especially for gambling or gaming uses is the card gameknown as blackjack (“Twenty-One” or “21”), the general rules of whichare well known throughout the world. A summary of the rules is providedbelow.

The basic game of blackjack is played with one or more standard decks ofcards wherein each rank of card is associated a numerical value (e.g.,royalty is worth 10 points, Aces may be 1 or 11 points at the changeableoption of the player, and actual numbers have equal point values, thatis 1=1, 2=2, 3=3, etc.). The object of the game for the players is to bedealt or otherwise develop a hand of cards having a cumulative valuecloser to 21 than the dealer's hand, provided that no hands that exceed21 remain in play.

Players are each initially dealt hands consisting of two cards which aredisplayed face up to compete against the dealer's hand of two cards,with one card of the two dealer cards being displayed face up while theother dealer card is hidden (e.g., face down). The rules of the basicgame then provide a round in which each player has the opportunity tomaintain the initial hand as dealt (referred to as “sticking” or“standing”) or to receive additional cards (referred to as “hitting”).Cards can be added to the player hand in a player hand determinationportion of the round until the cumulative value of the hand exceeds 21or until the player indicates that he will stand with the present pointcount. A player with a cumulative hand value greater than 21 loses thegame before the dealer has exercised the stand/hit options (referred toas “busting”) and any wager that player has made is relinquished.

Once this player hand determination portion of the round has beencompleted, the dealer reveals the hidden or “hole” card to the playersand either stands or hits. In this basic version of the game ofblackjack, the dealer does not have the ability to decide whether tostand or hit. Rather, the decision is dictated by the house rules. Forexample, house rules may dictate that the dealer must typically takeanother card if the cumulative hand value equals 16 or less and muststand on any hand having a value of 17. In other variants of the game ofblackjack, the dealer must take a hit on a “soft” 17, that is, a 17 thatwas made by a hand comprising two or more cards, at least one of thecards being an Ace that can be used to provide a total hand count of 7(with the Ace counting as 1) or 17 (with the Ace counting as 11).Accordingly, if the dealer's hand should eventually exceed 21, thedealer loses the game. Upon the dealer losing, the remaining players(that is, players who have not yet busted and their hands are still inplay) win and are paid based on their wagers. In the event that both theplayer and dealer have the same value hands, this is a known as a “push”and the wager is returned to the player.

The house or casino has the advantage because the blackjack player mustplay and complete their hand before the dealer plays or completes hishand. However, blackjack is relatively simple to understand and is afast and easy card game for most players to play. Additionally, manyplayers may exercise some form of strategy when playing the game whichbetters their odds of winning. These strategies are often based onassessing a combination of factors such as the player's initial handvalue, an estimation of the dealer's hand based on the one visible cardand mathematical probability that the hidden card will be of aparticular value, along with the chances that taking any additionalcards will cause the player or dealer to eventually bust.

While the basic game of blackjack is a relatively fast-paced card game,it is always desirable to offer the players opportunities for variationsin the game to maintain their long-term interest. Other betting optionsare desirable for the blackjack player other than just varying the sizeof their wagers. Additional betting options increase the revenue earnedby each table. A blackjack game is needed that has wageringopportunities which permit the blackjack player to have a chance to wina large bet (as a regular option or an option after losing a number ofconventional bets to the dealer) without the risk of losing a largeamount.

Attempts have been made to vary the basic game of blackjack to provideplayers with additional wagering options as compared to the wageringoptions in the basic game. For example, some of these variants allow fora player to wager on the dealer's hand value being higher than theplayer's hand value but not more than 21. Other variants allow theplayer to wager on the value of the dealer's hidden card. In yet othervariants, the players are allowed to make separate wagers on the initialhand with payouts dependent on the rank or suit of the cards dealt. Instill other variants, the players are allowed to make separate wagershaving payouts that depend on the player's cards and the dealer'sviewable card being forming a traditional poker hand such as a straightor flush.

Another example of a blackjack variant wager is Royal Match 21™ gamemarketed by Shuffle Master, Inc., which includes an optional side bonusbet for Blackjack that considers only the first two cards that theplayer receives. If the cards are a King and Queen of the same suit(i.e., a “Royal Match”), the player wins. The game also includes anOptional Crown Treasure™ bonus wager which may provide awards to theplayer if the player and the dealer each receive a “Royal Match.”

A series of Patents have been issued (including U.S. Pat. Nos.6,012,719; 6,293,551; 6,371,867; 6,481,719; 6,523,831; 6,863,274; and6,902,167, Webb) disclose side bet wagers on cards used in blackjackgames, often but not always in a poker-type arrangement of cards.

Many blackjack variants have not been successful for reasons such as thevariations unduly decrease the pace of game play, lack exciting bettingoptions or a large jackpot type of payout, or incorporate side wageringoptions that are not widely utilized by players because they areconfusing or their benefits are unknown, minimal or just unappreciated.Thus, there is a need in the art to provide variants of the basicblackjack game which, among other things, include easily understoodwagering options and large payouts that do not significantly slow downthe game play. Furthermore, there is always a need to provide additionalalternatives for people that enjoy games of chance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems cited above, among otherthings, by providing a blackjack wagering game having a unique side betbonus game that provides a wager resulting at relatively high multiplesof the wager.

In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of playinga blackjack wagering game that includes the steps of: wagering a firstmonetary amount on an underlying blackjack game involving a playerplaying against a dealer; wagering a second monetary amount on a sidebet bonus game integrated with the underlying blackjack game, whereinthe step of placing the side bet bonus game wager includes selecting atleast one particular suit as an element of the side bet wager game;providing one or more cards to each of the player and the dealer to forma player's initial hand and a dealer's initial hand; and determining theoutcome of the side bet bonus game wager, wherein the outcome of theside bet wager depends on at least one of the initial hands includingone or more cards of the at least one selected suit; and playing theunderlying blackjack card game to determine a final outcome for theblackjack wager.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the step of providingone or more cards to the player and the dealer to form a player'sinitial hand and a dealer's initial hand includes providing two cards tothe player and two cards to the dealer, wherein only one of the dealer'scards is displayed openly to the player before the player may elect tostand or hit.

In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the player selects the onesuit for a single wager. In another, the player is provided with theopportunity to place multiple wagers and select one or more than onesuit for each wager. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the suit isselected randomly (e.g., by a random event selector, card cut,processor, etc.). The outcome of the side bet bonus wager may depend onthe player's initial hand including one or more cards of any selectedsuit. Preferably, a winning outcome of the side bet bonus wager dependson the player's initial hand including all cards of one selected suit.

Alternatively, the outcome of the side bet bonus wager may depend on theplayer's initial hand and dealer's displayed card including one or morecards of a selected suit. A winning outcome of the side bet bonus wagermay then depend on the player's initial hand and dealer's displayed cardincluding all or a specific minimum number of cards of one selectedsuit. For example, the wager may also be made that specific sets ofcards (such as the player's cards or the player's cards and the dealer'sup card) have exactly 1, 2 or 3 cards of a specific suit. The specificcards may vary with each game or format, and the award amount willdepend upon the probability of any specific card combination eventoccurring. For example, wagers may be placed on any one of spades,hearts, diamonds or clubs, and the specific combinations of, forexample, A-K, A-2, any running cards (e.g., 2-3, 6-7, 10-J, etc.) orwith multiple decks, even paired cards of the selected suit. A point tobe considered is that the suit may be selected independent of the cardcombinations, as opposed to having a fixed wager on only predeterminedsuit and card combinations.

The blackjack wagering game of the present invention may also includethe step of paying an award on a winning side bet bonus wager, whereinthe award is a multiple of the second monetary amount. The multiple usedto determine the award for a winning outcome on the side bet bonus wagermay be modified or increased depending on the factors relating toattributes associated with the cards forming the initial hands otherthan their respective suits. For example, the multiplier may be modifiedif the player's initial hand or dealer's initial hand is a blackjack(sum of ranks) or pair according to the rules of poker, or a combinationthereof. The multiplier may also be modified depending on the quantityof decks used to play the underlying blackjack game. Preferably, theside bet bonus wager pushes if the player's initial hand includes onlyone card of any selected suit.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become morereadily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from thefollowing detailed description of the invention taken in conjunctionwith the detailed description of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description illustrates various exemplary and preferredembodiments of the game of the present invention, but is not intended tolimit the scope thereof.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providingan auxiliary game to an underlying game of blackjack which can be playedby one or more players and is configured or adapted to provide an award(also referred to herein as a “bonus” or “side bet bonus” award) at anintermediate stage of the game prior to determining the ultimate outcomeof the underlying blackjack game.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a blackjack wagering gameplayed according to the standard rules of blackjack is integrated with abonus side bet game. The bonus bet may be optional or mandatory. Thegame of the present invention is played by first placing an ante wageron the underlying game of blackjack and by making a second side betwager. The player, or other wagerer, selects one or more possible cardsuits (e.g., clubs, diamonds, hearts and/or spades) in addition placingthe side bet wager. The selection of at least one particular suit can bea distinct step in the practice of this described game. The game mayalso be played with a predetermined suit predetermined as an element ofeach side bet (e.g., only spades).

Preferably, each side bet wager comprises a separate bet on the selectedsuit. Thus, one to four separate bets may be placed in a traditionalgame of blackjack using standard cards. For example, in a live tablegame, the side bet may be placed by placing poker chips in a particularlocation within a designated side bet area of the table having indiciaprinted thereon to represent the four suits and four possible wageringselections. Alternatively, one or more suits may be chosen randomly byan independent apparatus, such as an electronic device or a spinningwheel, prior to the start of a new game. The selected suit would bedisplayed to the players and dealer.

After placing side bet wager, cards are then provided to the player andthe dealer to form a player's initial hand and a dealer's initial hand.In a preferred embodiment, the player's initial hand is compared withthe side bet wager, that is, to determine if the cards in the player'sinitial hand are of the same suit as the one or more suits selected aspart of placing the side bet wager. Alternatively, one or both cards ofthe player's initial hand and the one displayed card in the dealer'sinitial hand may be used to compare with the one or more suits selectedin the side bet wager to determine a winner. Depending on the game rulesand winning criteria, the side bet award is granted, if appropriate.After determining the outcome of the side bet, the underlying blackjackgame is played to a final outcome. The determination may be madevisually by the players and dealer and/or the determination may beidentified and indicated to the table by an automated card readingsystems, by way of non-limiting example, such as that disclosed in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/622,321 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,460,848;6,517,435; 6,517,436; 6,520,857; 6,527,271; 6,530,836; 6,530,837; andothers, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

The side bet award is preferably expressed as a mathematical formula orodds payout, such as in a pay table, which prescribes the winningcriteria and amount to be awarded in relation to the winning criteriaand the amount wagered. Preferably, the amount to be awarded isexpressed as a multiple of the amount wagered. The multiplier may be thesame or different, depending on the winning criteria satisfied.

For example, a greater multiplier may be applied to the bonus wager ifthe player's initial hand includes two suited cards of the same value,or a ranked hand according to the rules of poker, such as a pair, ratherthan any two different cards of the same suit. A greater multiplier mayalso be employed to determine the bonus award if the player's initialhand along with the dealer's displayed card includes one or more suitedcards that form a ranked hand according to the rules of poker.Similarly, different multipliers may be employed if the player's initialhand includes cards of a particular rank or a blackjack consisting ofcards of the selected suit. The award amount for winning hands may alsobe modified depending on the number of decks used in the game.Alternatively, the award may be all or a portion of a progressivejackpot. The relative portion of the jackpot awarded may also depend onthe cards in the player's initial hand.

A preferred embodiment of the game is described below. In thisembodiment, if the suit of a single card in the player's initial handmatches a selected suit, this results in a push (i.e., neither a win norloss and the bet is returned). If both cards in the player's initialhand are of the same suit as a selected suit, the side bet wins odds.The bonus award is expressed as a multiple of the amount wagered. Thespecific multiplier to be used in calculating the award depends in parton which winning criteria is satisfied, and the game being played, thatis, the amount of decks incorporated in the game. An exemplary pay tablefor this embodiment is shown below. Two Match Two Match Number of No OneTwo and a and a Decks Match Match Match Pair Blackjack 1 Loss Push 7 to1 NA 40 to 1 2 Loss Push 7 to 1 20 to 1 25 to 1 3 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to1 25 to 1 4 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to 1 25 to 1 5 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to 125 to 1 6 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to 1 25 to 1 7 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to 1 25to 1 8 Loss Push 7 to 1 15 to 1 25 to 1

The above payable contains the winning criteria and mathematicalformulas, in terms of a multiple of the monetary amount placed as a sidebet wager, used in the following illustrative examples of theaforementioned preferred embodiment. In the examples, the game will beprimarily described with respect to the traditional game of blackjack,but it should be readily apparent that the award or bonus wager andother features of the present invention can be applied to other variantsof blackjack, such as Spanish 21™ game, other card games or other typesof gambling games. If a special deck of cards is used, the payout oddsare likely to be different. It should also be readily apparent thatvarious other winning criteria and formulas may be used in conjunctionwith games of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1

In a blackjack game using 1 deck according to the present invention, theplayer makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and side bet wagers of$5 on hearts and $5 on diamonds. In this example, the dealer's up cardis not considered. The initial hands are shown below: Player's HandDealer's Up-Card Ace♥ Jack♥ 9♦

Since the player selected hearts, and the player's hand satisfies one ofthe criteria described in the pay table above (i.e., “Two match and ablackjack”), the player has won the side bet bonus award of $200 (40×the side bet amount of $5) according to the formula in the paytable(i.e., “40 to 1”) associated with this criteria and amount of decks ofcards used in the game. Although the dealer's up card is a diamond, andthe player selected a diamond, the player losses the $5 bet because inthis embodiment of the present invention, the suit of the up card in thedealer's initial hand is not considered. After the side bets areresolved the underlying blackjack game continues to an ultimateresolution. Any amounts due to the player based on the outcome of theunderlying blackjack game are granted independently of the side betbonus award.

EXAMPLE 2

In a blackjack game using 4 decks according to the present invention,the player makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and a side betwager of $5 on hearts. The dealer's up card is not considered in thisexample. The initial hands are shown below: Player's Hand Dealer'sUp-Card 10♥ Jack♥ 9♦

Since the player selected hearts, and the player's hand satisfies one ofthe criteria described in the pay table above (i.e., “Two match”), theplayer has won the side bet bonus award of $35 (7× the side bet amountof $5) according to the formula in the paytable (i.e., “7 to 1”)associated with this criteria. Although the player's cards have the samecount value (i.e., “10”) it should be noted that these cards do not forma pair according to the rules of poker. After these side bets areresolved the underlying blackjack game continues to an ultimateresolution.

EXAMPLE 3

In a blackjack game using 4 decks according to the present invention,the player makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and side betwagers of $5 on hearts and $5 on clubs. The dealer's up card is notconsidered in this example. The initial hands are shown below: Player'sHand Dealer's Up-Card Jack♥ Jack♦ 9

With regard to the side bet on hearts, the player's hand satisfies oneof the criteria described in the pay table above (i.e., “One match”),and the bet pushes (i.e., the player's bet of $5 is returned) inaccordance with the formula in the paytable. With regard to the side betof $5 on clubs, the player's hand includes no cards having clubs (i.e.,“No match”). Thus, the player loses this bet in accordance with the paytable above. The underlying blackjack game continues to an ultimateresolution after these side bets are resolved.

EXAMPLE 4

In a blackjack game using 8 decks according to the present invention,the player makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and a side betwager of $5 on clubs. The dealer's up card is not considered in thisexample. The initial hands are shown below: Player's Hand Dealer'sUp-Card Jack

Jack

9♥

Since the player selected clubs, and the player's hand satisfies one ofthe criteria described in the pay table above (i.e., “Two match and apair”), the player has won the side bet bonus award of $75 (15× the sidebet amount of $5) according to the formula in the paytable (i.e., “15 to1”) associated with this criteria and amount of decks used in the game.The underlying blackjack game continues to an ultimate resolution afterthese side bets are resolved.

EXAMPLE 5

In a blackjack game using 6 decks according to the present invention,the player makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and side betwagers of $5 on hearts, $5 on clubs, $5 on spades and $5 on diamonds.Only the player's cards are considered in this example for receiving theside bet. The initial hands are shown below: Player's Hand Dealer'sUp-Card 6

6

Ace

The player loses the side bet wagers on hearts, clubs and diamonds, fora total loss of $15, but wins the side bet wager on spades. Since theplayer's hand includes two spades and qualifies as a pair according tothe rules of poker, the player wins a side bet bonus award of $75 (15×the side bet amount of $5) according to the formula in the paytable(i.e., “15 to 1”) associated with this criteria and amount of decks usedin the game. The underlying blackjack game continues to an ultimateresolution after these side bets are resolved.

For example, the game proceeds and dealer's hole card is revealed toshow a blackjack hand as follows: Player's Hand Dealer's Hand 6

6

Ace

Jack♥

It should be noted that although the player has lost the $10 ante on theunderlying blackjack game and the three side bets of $5.00 each for acombined total of $25.00, the player has still won the bonus award of$75, and thus has positive winnings of $50.

EXAMPLE 6

In a blackjack game using 6 decks according to the present invention,the player makes an underlying blackjack wager of $10 and side betwagers of $5 on hearts and $5 on clubs. In this example, the dealer's upcard is considered along with the player's cards for comparison with thecriteria set forth in the paytable. The initial hands are shown below:Player's Hand Dealer's Up-Card 8 ♥ 6

Jack

The player loses the side bet wager on hearts for a loss of $5, but winsthe side bet wager on clubs for clubs since the dealer's up card isincluded for comparison with the criteria. Since the player's hand anddealer's up card includes two clubs, the player wins a side bet bonusaward of $35 (7× the side bet amount of $5) according to the formula inthe paytable (i.e., “7 to 1”) associated with this criteria and amountof decks used in the game. The underlying blackjack game continues to anultimate resolution after the side bets are resolved.

In the above description, variations within the generic principles ofthe invention have been alluded to or described. One of ordinary skillin the art can develop other alternatives or additions within the scopeof the invention. For example, special wagering features such as coinaccepting slots, proximity detectors, or other wager indicators(particularly for the side bet wager) can be provided on the gamingtable for the play of the exemplary blackjack game. Progressive bonusesmay be designed for use with the appearance of special hands (e.g.,dealer and player matching suited blackjacks or the like). Such aprogressive bonus may be indicated on a special meter. Other options andcomponents may be added to the play of the game without avoiding theunderlying generic concepts disclosed in this description and the claimsof the invention.

For example, the underlying game could be another casino-style card gamesuch as baccarat, pai gow poker, or a specialty poker game. In the caseof Pai Gow poker, each player and the dealer receive 7 cards. Theplayers and the dealer “set” their hands, forming a five card hand and atwo card hand. A side bet on the occurrence of a designated suit in theplayer's two card hand and/or the dealer's two card hand could beoffered. Or, the designated suit can be in one or more cards in the fivecard hands, or combinations of the five and two card hands. Other casinogames such as Baccarat could be played in a manner similar to theblackjack game described in detail above. The odds would have to beadjusted, as the player's have more control over the positioning ofcards in Pai Gow poker.

Although exemplary and preferred aspects and embodiments of the presentinvention have been described with a full set of features, it is to beunderstood that the disclosed system and method may be practicedsuccessfully without the incorporation of each of those features. It isto be further understood that modifications and variations may beutilized without departure from the spirit and scope of this inventivesystem and method, as those skilled in the art will readily understand.Such modifications and variations are considered to be within thepurview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A blackjack wagering game having a side bet bonus game comprising: a)wagering a first amount on an underlying blackjack game involving aplayer playing against a dealer; b) wagering a second amount on a sidebet bonus game integrated with the underlying blackjack game, whereinthe wager includes selecting at least one particular suit associatedwith a winning event in the side bet bonus game; c) providing one ormore cards to the player and the dealer to form a player's initial handand a dealer's initial hand; d) determining the outcome of the side betbonus game wager, wherein the outcome depends on at least one card inone of the initial hands including one or more cards of the at least oneselected suit; e) playing the underlying blackjack card game todetermine a final outcome for the blackjack wager.
 2. The blackjackwagering game according to claim 1, wherein the player selects the atleast one suit.
 3. The blackjack wagering game according to claim 1,wherein the player is provided with the opportunity to place multiplewagers and select more than one suit.
 4. The blackjack wagering gameaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one suit is selectedrandomly.
 5. The blackjack wagering game according to claim 1, furthercomprising the step of paying an award on a winning side bet bonuswager, wherein the award is a multiple of the second monetary amount. 6.The blackjack wagering game according to claim 5, wherein the multipleincreases depending on the amount of decks used in the underlyingblackjack game.
 7. The blackjack wagering game according to claim 1,wherein the side bet bonus wager pushes if the player's initial handincludes only one card of the at least one selected suit.
 8. Theblackjack wagering game according to claim 1, wherein the outcome of theside bet bonus wager depends on the player's initial hand including oneor more cards of the at least one selected suit.
 9. The blackjackwagering game according to claim 8, wherein a winning outcome of theside bet bonus wager depends on the player's initial hand including allcards of the at least one selected suit.
 10. The blackjack wagering gameaccording to claim 1, wherein the step of providing one or more cards tothe player and the dealer to form a player's initial hand and a dealer'sinitial hand further comprises providing two cards to the player and twocards to the dealer, wherein one of the dealer's cards is displayedopenly to the player.
 11. The blackjack wagering game according to claim10, wherein the outcome of the side bet bonus wager depends on theplayer's initial hand and dealer's displayed card including one or morecards of the selected suit.
 12. The blackjack wagering game according toclaim 10, wherein a winning outcome of the side bet bonus wager dependson the player's initial hand and dealer's displayed card including allcards of the selected suit.
 13. The blackjack wagering game according toclaim 10, wherein a winning outcome of the side bet bonus wager dependson the player's initial hand including two cards of the at least oneselected suit, wherein the two cards are of the same selected suit. 14.The blackjack wagering game according to claim 10, wherein the side betbonus wager pushes if the player's initial hand includes only one cardof the at least one selected suit.
 15. The blackjack wagering gameaccording to claim 10, further comprising the step of paying an award ona winning side bet bonus wager, wherein the award is a multiple of thesecond monetary amount.
 16. The blackjack wagering game according toclaim 15, wherein the multiple increases if the player's initial hand isa blackjack.
 17. The blackjack wagering game according to claim 15,wherein the multiple increases if the player's initial hand forms aranked hand according to the rules of poker.
 18. The blackjack wageringgame according to claim 15, wherein the multiple increases if theplayer's initial hand forms a pair according to the rules of poker. 19.A blackjack wagering game having a side bet bonus game, comprising thesteps of: a) wagering a first amount on an underlying blackjack gameinvolving a player playing against a dealer; b) wagering a second amounton a side bet bonus game integrated with the underlying blackjack game,wherein the wager includes selecting at least one particular suit to beassociated with a winning event in the side bet bonus game; c) providingtwo cards to the player and two cards to the dealer to form a player'sinitial hand and a dealer's initial hand, wherein the player's two cardsare displayed and one of the two dealer's cards is displayed; d)determining the outcome of the side bet bonus game wager, wherein theoutcome depends on at least one card of the at least one initial handincluding one or more cards of the at least one selected suit; and e)playing the underlying blackjack card game to determine a final outcomefor the blackjack wager.
 20. The blackjack wagering game of claim 19,wherein the outcome of the side bet bonus wager depends on the player'sinitial hand including one or more cards of the at least one selectedsuit.
 21. The blackjack wagering game of claim 19, wherein a winningoutcome of the side bet bonus wager depends on the player's initial handincluding two cards of the at least one selected suit.
 22. The blackjackwagering game of claim 19, wherein a winning outcome of the side betbonus wager depends on the player's initial hand including two cards ofthe at least one selected suit, wherein the two cards are of the sameselected suit.
 23. The blackjack wagering game of claim 19, wherein theside bet bonus wager pushes if the player's initial hand includes onlyone card of the at least one selected suit.
 24. The blackjack wageringgame of claim 19, further comprising the step of paying an award on awinning side bet bonus wager, wherein the award is a multiple of thesecond monetary amount.
 25. The blackjack wagering game of claim 19,wherein the multiple increases if the player's initial hand is ablackjack.
 26. The blackjack wagering game of claim 19, wherein themultiple increases if the player's initial hand forms a pair accordingto the rules of poker.
 27. A blackjack wagering game having a side betbonus game comprising: a) wagering a first amount on an underlyingblackjack game involving a player playing against a dealer; b) wageringa second amount on a side bet bonus game integrated with the underlyingblackjack game, wherein the second amount wager includes selecting atleast one particular suit to be associated with a winning event in theside bet bonus game; c) selecting at least a single card rank or a twocard rank, card combination or card order within the second amountwager; d) providing one or more cards to the player and the dealer toform a player's initial hand and a dealer's initial hand; e) determiningthe outcome of the side bet bonus game wager, wherein the outcomedepends on at least one card in one of the initial hands including oneor more cards of the at least one selected suit and one of the singlecard rank or a two card rank, card combination or card order; e) playingthe underlying blackjack card game to determine a final outcome for theblackjack wager.